


Some Become Strangers

by absyntheshadow



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-18
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-07-13 19:47:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16024754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/absyntheshadow/pseuds/absyntheshadow
Summary: I need time. I need to figure everything out.





	1. After the Glitter Fades

Nero was both tired and bored. It was supposed to be a good night out. It hadn't turned out that way. They'd just gotten paid for a job and Dante had wated to go out to celebrate it. It would have been fine but Nero just hadn't been in the mood for it. It hadn't helped that since they'd come into the bar that Dante had been flirting with a few of the ladies. 

That was just typical of Dante. Go out to have a couple good drinks and he'd flirt shamelessly with anyone who'd buy into it. Shoot some pool and lose horribly on purpose just avoid a fight later. 

Nero would rather be anywhere else. He wasn't even entirely sure why. He'd been in a foul mood lately. He was just waiting for Dante to decide he was worth his time soon, but it'd already been a couple hours. He had his doubts that Dante would have even notice if he slipped off yet again.

With that thought in mind, he threw back his last shot and got up. He stuffed his human hand in his coat pocket as headed for the door. He didn't even look to see if Dante had seen him leave.

The snow was coming down harder than it had a half hour ago. He was still getting used to it. Driving in it had taken some getting used to. But instead of driving, Dante had wanted to walk since it wasn't that far away. Give him time to decide.

No, that was the wrong way to put it. He'd already decided. It was a matter of catching Dante. It was never going to be a good time to say it. But it always seemed Dante was on his way out when he wanted to talk. He just seemed to have the worst of luck.

He trudged through the snow as the scarf billowed. Maybe he was just stupid to think things would change with Dante. It hadn't seemed to yet. He wasn't sure if it was just because he was impatient or just because he knew Dante just wasn't a commitment kind of guy. He should feel bad, but part of him was telling him it was justified to feel the way he was feeling. They'd been drifting apart lot lately. They didn't have the same playful banter as they used to. Either Dante didn't seem to notice, or he just decided it was time to stop.

Sure he hadn't gotten Dante anything a few days ago, but he hadn't really planned on it anyway. He hadn't much liked celebrating birthdays or holidays. Mostly because both left a bitter taste in his mouth after Fortuna. And Dante wasn't really a doting kind of guy anyway. 

Oh who was he kidding? They didn't really have anything. A one night drunken fling had turned into some weird friends with benefits thing that really didn't have any definite lines. A good fuck here and there, go out to eat or go to the bar, but that was about it. Dante and him took separate jobs and Nero kind of liked it that way. Yet part of him wasn't happy with the arrangement. At some point he realized he'd wanted more than what Dante was probably not willing to give. Rather than discuss it, he just kind of left it dangling over his own head in silence. Something he often thought about when he was in his own bed late at night.

He stopped to look upward at the sky. It was strange watching the snow come down the way it was. A cold wet snowflake hit his face that felt hot from the booze. And there was that half quiet laugh that escaped his lips as his human hand touched his forehead. He was an idiot. Just a young kid who fantasized what it would be like to have a dependable relationship despite all his short comings. Especially his temper. 

"What's so funny, kid?"

Nero turned to see Dante a few feet away from him. More surprised the that the hunter even noticed he'd left at all. 

"Nothing." 

Nero couldn't explain things to Dante in way to make him understand. He was terrible about saying what was really on his mind. Mostly afraid that Dante wouldn't take him seriously. And if he did, maybe too seriously. Sometimes it was just hard to read Dante.

"Then why'd you leave?" 

"It's getting late and I'm tired." Nero lied. 

He'd gotten pretty good at that. The small lies anyway. Tucking away his thoughts and sometimes just going through motions to get him through the day. When he didn't have the patience to try to lie he just got angry. Usually at no fault of Dante's despite what he was sure the other assumed.

"You could have said something."

Nero could see the fleeting frown on Dante's face before he took a few more steps. Again, not something he was sure he could read into. Dante had seemed to be enjoying himself. Or maybe the hunter was just good at faking it.

There were too many maybes passing through his mind.

Nero sniffled, rubbing his nose with his hand before shoving it back into his coat pocket to keep it a little bit more warm. He let out a breath, watching as the cold air made it visible. He turned away from Dante toward where the shop was. This moment was probably the best time to say what was on his mind before it became another couple of months before he'd have another shot at it. Before he'd choke on it and try to talk himself out of it.

"I'm done, Dante."

The hunter could take it just about in any way Nero could imagine Dante was. Probably thinking that it meant he was done keeping in touch with Kyrie. Done with hunting. Done living at the shop. Done with them.

"All right. We'll call it an early night."

Not what Nero was expecting, but he still wasn't sure what Dante was thinking. He hadn't meant he was done drinking for the night.

"That's not what I mean." 

Now Nero was trying his hardest to contain his feelings. Bottle his annoyance so it didn't show. It wasn't fair to get angry at Dante for misinterpreting it. 

Instead he let out a slow sigh, "I mean us. Whatever we are."

At that moment Nero couldn't see the look on Dante's face and he dared not look. The last thing he needed was to see Dante looking hurt. Especially over something that probably didn't mean much to him anyway.

Nero was expecting something to come out of Dante's mouth, but all he got was silence. He took it as a sign that the older hunter had nothing to say on the matter. He hoped that was the case. He needed time. He needed to figure everything out. 

But for now… this had to hurt them both.

He slipped further away from Dante. He wasn't about to let the older hunter's actions speak for themselves and twist it into something else. Or attempt to change his mind by telling him he was drunk and didn't know what he was saying.


	2. Stand Back

What the hell just happened?

Dante watched Nero's figure get smaller before he leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. The frown he'd hidden as best he could from Nero was back now.

What had he done wrong? 

All he had wanted to do tonight was take Nero out to distract him from whatever seemed to be on the younger man's mind. Seemed his attempt backfired. It made him wonder if Nero had wanted to go out at all and had just said yes to get him to stop discussing the matter all together.

He'd wanted to take Nero to Freddie's initially because they both liked the place. It was something different than take-out which the younger complained about since Dante just didn't seem interested in cooking. He surprised even himself when he instead chose a restaurant that neither of them had been to before. He had hoped to impress Nero by his willingness to try something new.

Dante had decided a decent Italian restaurant would be new to them both. It wasn't some joint where he could just order a typical hamburger and fries when he couldn't decide on anything else. Sure, pizza was on the menu, but he had promised himself he wouldn't order his idea of comfort food.

And he hadn't. He'd been a bit glad to be able to surprise Nero that he could change things up occasionally. The look was something he wouldn't forget because it'd been a genuine reaction from Nero. 

The food had been really good. Especially the bread sticks. He'd liked the little plate that had garlic and olive oil that he could dip it into. He'd probably go back there just for that. The dessert had been pretty good too. Not a strawberry sundae, but Nero had seemed to like it. Who could go wrong with a coffee flavored dessert when it was done right?

Dinner was just long and agonizingly awkward. Nero hadn't wanted to talk about work. Or much of anything. It was small talk and even he knew that Nero was trying way too hard to say something even though he'd rather not at all. The short spurts of conversation made even Dante feel a tad uncomfortable with. 

Maybe it was because he felt like time had somehow regressed back to when Nero first arrived at Devil May Cry. That had been the longest first year they'd spent together under the same roof. The part that been the most painful was that Nero wouldn't confide in him. He'd do change the subject, make an excuse or try to do just about everything else except tell him what was on his mind. But he didn't feel like it was appropriate to push the kid. Half of the time he felt like he was walking on eggshells not entirely sure what would set the kid off. Even if setting him off had been kind of fun sometimes. 

Dante didn't want to think back on that year, but couldn't bring himself not to. There wasn't a single thing when Nero entered the picture that he'd forgotten about. But it made his mind drift off to think about everything that had led up to this point too.

He considered Lady and Trish friends. Even Morrison and Patty in a way. It'd taken time for him to just give in because they'd seemed determined to stick around. But those kind of friends couldn't help him with his emotional problem. Mostly because he felt like he couldn't trust them enough to tell them what was on his mind. Something he had in common with Nero and didn't know it.

He didn't want to admit to anyone, not even himself that back then after the fiasco with Vergil, he had fallen into a pretty deep ocean of depression. He had his alcohol to help him sleep at night. His comfort food which consisted mostly of pizza or strawberry sundaes when the mood suited him most. Killing devils was his third and best escape from that hole. 

That had been his life.

It'd been the shittiest part of his life he would have liked to have forgotten all together. But it would have been wrong to forget about Vergil. He owed that much to his brother despite everything that had happened between them. And forgetting about him would inevitably make him forget how that led to meeting Nero in the first place.

It'd been a real surprise when Trish and Lady had given him the idea to check out Fortuna since something fishy was going on there. Meeting the kid had changed his life. Not because the kid reminded him of himself when he was younger, but there was just something else about him.

Something that made Dante feel like he didn't need to let himself wallow further in his own pit of sadness, regret and self-hate.

At least for a short while anyway.

But after the incident with the Order, life had carried on like Nero hadn't existed. Even though he'd made sure that Nero and Kyrie had his number just in case something happened later down the road. 

Then Kyrie called Devil May Cry and forewarned him that Nero was looking for a place to stay temporarily in the city. She hadn't told him exactly why, but she had asked Dante to promise he'd take good care of Nero.

Dante had felt it was in both their best interests to promise him a place to stay. Mostly because he was tired of living alone with limited distractions. He hoped Nero would prove to be a better one after he settled in.

The kid had brought some clothes, his weapons and a few other things. Bare necessities which made Dante wonder what the hell Nero had been so desperate to get away from in Fortuna to leave the rest of his stuff behind. To leave a beautiful human girl like Kyrie behind.

Dante pushed away from the wall, adjusting the collar of his coat. The wind was picking up and it was getting colder out. He shouldn't be standing out there thinking about things he couldn't change. 

He had wanted to follow Nero back to the shop, but he made himself turn the corner and keep walking. Nero probably wouldn't have wanted his company tonight anyway. 

His mind drifted back again to that first night. The night he'd accidentally gotten Nero drunker than he thought he had. One shot too many and he was helping Nero up the stairs and he was being pulled by Nero into his room.

He remembered the way Nero kissed him had been gentle and tasted like whiskey and cherries. It'd been a stark contrast from his hands that were in a hurry to undress them after he'd been pushed back against the bedroom door. 

He'd been surprised the kid hadn't just used his Bringer to shred his clothes. Not that it would have pissed him off. They were just clothes. It might have been different had it been his jacket, but it had been safely hung up down below.

For the first time Nero's guard was down. He was more genuinely honest about what he wanted by showing Dante. They hadn't had to exchange words because Dante understood. He'd needed it just the same.

Dante closed his eyes and swallowed hard.

The older half-devil's feelings sank deep in into his stomach. He hadn't intended for any of that to happen with Nero. But he let Nero initiate things. Again and again. Over the course of the last year everything had just been a gradual change between friends and more than that. Nero had seemed to be happier.

Until now.

_"I'm done, Dante.... I mean us. Whatever we are."_

What was he supposed to do now? Pretend nothing ever happened? Try to start over and hope whatever was bothering Nero wasn't aimed at him for whatever he did or didn't do? Tell Nero it would be in their best interest if he moved out?

Truth be told, Dante wasn't entirely sure he could. He didn't want to be alone. He didn't want to go back to the point where he'd been. Back to where he'd reached the feeling of no hope. Feeling empty in everything he did.

What he wanted...

His phone buzzed in his coat pocket breaking his thoughts. He gave a quick search for it hoping it was Nero saying he was sorry or something to that effect. 

It wasn't.

Dante let out a sigh as he answered it. "Yeah?"

"I thought you were going to be at the bar for another couple hours."

Oh right. He'd forgotten he'd invited Trish to join them. But they'd both left before she'd even shown up. And he'd been so busy delving back into his head he'd forgotten to tell her the plans had changed.

"Nero decided to turn in early tonight. Thought I'd owe it to him to bow out early too."

He stopped as a car approached and pulled up to the curb in front of him.

"I'll call you back."

He didn't wait for Trish to say anything before he ended the call and put the phone back in his jacket pocket.

The woman was younger than him, though not by much. He could tell her hair was dyed darker than what it had been before. Given the late hour, he was pretty sure the driver was looking either for a place to stay or someone to fuck. He was banking on the latter.

"Hey honey, you need a ride?" 

For a moment Dante hesitated. 

His stomach turned at the thought. If he gave into his carnal desires with someone other than Nero it would be wrong. Even if he knew he was being used and it meant nothing, he felt like he'd betray Nero somehow.

He wasn't sure how that was possible.

"Sorry, lady. Not interested."


	3. Blue Denim

Nero slammed open the door to the Devil May Cry shop after he'd stomped his feet to knock off the excess snow he'd gotten all over his boots. Then he slammed it shut behind him, hearing the windows rattle from the force. He didn't care if he left a snowy trail behind him. It wasn't like Dante knew how to clean.

Alright, that was pure lie. Dante did know how to clean, he just preferred not to. Nero had wondered if Dante thought it was a perfectly good waste of what limited energy he liked to use playing pool, reading magazines or having sex when they weren't on a job killing demons.

So he opted to clean most of the place. His room was certainly better kept than Dante's. He wouldn't clean the older hunter's room even if he offered to pay him which would never happen. Dante didn't even want to pay someone to clean the shop on a weekly basis before Nero had moved in.

Patty couldn't stand how dirty the shop was some days when she stopped by for their company when she had nothing better to do. Then again, she liked to complain about everything. Especially when Dante always told her he had no money for her to squander on something girly and stupid. He'd learned to tune it out half of the time. As for Dante, he was able to tune a lot of people out by sheer practice.

Least Nero thought that was what it was. Part of him wished he could do the same.

He trudged up the stairs as he undid the scarf. He stopped at the top of the stairs, listening for any sign that Dante had followed him back but all he got was silence and his own breathing. That was both a good and bad thing. Now that he was inside, he felt hotter than he'd like to be. He knew it had nothing to do with what he was wearing. Probably another side effect of the alcohol. He hoped it was a side effect since the only other time he felt this hot was when he'd occasionally catch the flu and that was usually a twenty-four hour bug.

The last thing he needed was Dante seeing him sick. So far he'd had a lot of luck avoiding that around the older hunter. Not because he felt embarrassed to be seen vulnerable, but because it made him more of a temperamental violent adult that would prefer to shoot Dante in the dick while he was in the middle of vomiting if his aim would be steady and reliable enough.

Nero almost felt bad thinking that it would probably be a better distraction to think about having the flu than the other thoughts that were creeping back into his head. But those thoughts weren't going to go away. It just hung over him more, making him more irritated as he entered his room and slammed the door behind him. He was finally alone to sulk by himself in peace. A least until Dante decided he wanted to come back.

Somehow saying things were over like he had probably hadn't made much of an impression on the older hunter. He could be wrong, but he doubted it. Dante hadn't been right behind him as he half expected.

Hell, he was pretty sure Dante was off finding some pretty human somewhere and getting off. He shouldn't feel jealous because he'd just told Dante he was done fooling around with him. Yet he hated the idea of Dante dicking around with anyone else. It was another number to add to the growing list of reasons that Nero felt like he had to be angry at Dante for. At the very top of that list was being called 'Kid' simply because he wasn't a god damn teenager. He was twenty-one for fuck's sake. He was a consenting adult who'd been screwing a man much older than him.

Had he been in a better mood he would have laughed at that. Dante hated being called old, but that was what he got for calling Nero a kid, even if it was his messed up idea of an affectionate term or on purpose to annoy him which was the latter usually. Two could play that game so long as Nero's temper didn't get in the way of things.

He often worried that one of these upcoming days he'd burn an important bridge or two that he didn't mean to with his temper. Trish and Lady managed to handle him with ease. Then again, if they could handle Dante, he must seem like some sort of cakewalk to them. He wasn't willing to admit it, but he was glad that they were stubborn enough to still want to be friends. It was better than having just Kyrie as someone to talk to who seemed to have endless patience for him.

The younger hunter toed his boots off on the towel next to the bed and sank down onto the mattress. Next came the pants and the hoodie, both which he threw toward the corner by the dresser. He reached for the headphones on the nightstand with the Devil Bringer producing only a faint light that it was hardly any help in the darkness.

He let out a content sigh as he turned on the music and it started to drown out everything including his thoughts about Dante. It was his version of a pleasant distraction. The closest thing that came to mind in describing how it made him actually feel was that all his stress seemed to melt away. Always started at the base of his neck and crept its slow way down his body. All the way to his toes. Almost like turning on some sort of switch. He felt like he was a completely different person.

No worries. No overwhelming feelings. No urge to look for a fight.

Just peace.

Nero didn't like people seeing him that way. He felt like it was a some sort of vulnerability a typical villain would use if they found out. He didn't want to be teased about it. And he certainly didn't need Dante knowing about it. Which was why his headphones always stayed up there in the safety of his bedroom and rarely did he wear them downstairs unless he knew Dante was out.

He fell backward, finding no reason to shift himself. He wasn't going to fall onto the floor and he found the position kind of strangely comfortable. So comfortable that he was already starting to drift off.

 

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 

When Dante returned to Devil May Cry, he noticed the lights were still off and the door was unlocked. He figured Nero was just as tired as he said he was. He planned to lock up and head to bed himself. Even if the idea of staying up downstairs a bit longer was a better idea he'd rather not linger on what Nero had said by accidentally coming across some crappy romance movie.

Mostly so it wouldn't feel like the world was trying to emotionally torture him some more.

He hung up his coat in its usual place and took his boots off, making a face when his sock touched a puddle of melted snow. He couldn't be the only one who hated when that happened. Off came the socks and he left them by the boots. Least that way if he stepped in another puddle he wasn't walking around with a damp sock. 

Three more steps back to the door and he stepped in two more puddles he'd tracked in. He was extra careful not to let the wetness cause him to slip and make noise that might wake an otherwise sleeping Nero. Dante turned the bolt to firmly lock the door, leaning his head against it for just a moment.

A locked door would keep most humans out, but not pushy demons looking for trouble on his personal turf. That would promise almost certain death for any demon stupid enough in that case. Trish had been one of those few that didn't die right away. The only reason he hadn't killed her had been the fact she looked strikingly like his mother. One of his soft spots. 

Lucky for them both. Trish turned out to be a damned good friend as well as a reliable hunting partner. Of course, in his opinion, neither Nero or Trish were money hogs like Lady. 

Dante move from the door to glance out the window. Not entirely sure what made him do it, but he felt the need to. Just a sudden feeling. Not quite the feeling of being watched, yet something or someone was out there nearby. A strange one that something seemed _wrong_. 

He scoffed and moved away from the window. Every damn day felt like that as soon as a demon came within a two block radius of the shop. He'd learned to tune it out unless it came looking for him personally or he got a call for a job. But if he stayed up and waited, he would be doing that for hours and it would be a waste if nothing came of it.

Not to mention he'd be a bit more than cranky if Nero woke up early and woke him just after finally getting some sleep.

He'd chalk this feeling up to some weird male emotional anxiety over the matter concerning Nero. It had to be just that. Still, he planned to check on the kid and make sure he was okay before resigning himself to hoping he had a nice long dreamless sleep. A rarity unless Nero was laying next to him or in close proximity. Like sitting on the couch with him or letting Nero drive the car. Funny how a kid like him could be considered a security blanket in a way. Maybe it was the Devil Bringer that somehow acted like a strange demonic dream catcher. Or perhaps it was just that he trusted Nero enough not to kill him in his sleep.

Whatever the real explanation was, Dante wasn't so sure a decent sleep was going to be happening for a long while. Another thing he couldn't tell Nero, and further more, not something he needed Nero teasing him about. He was fairly certain the kid would say something along the lines of, _"You a need a night light at your age? What the hell can you be afraid of, old man? Do you need me to hold your hand when you go to the bathroom too?"_

Not a whole lot scared Dante. Not the creatures that crawled in the dark and preyed on more than just human flesh and fear. He'd fought a lot of nasty demons. Took on and defeated Mundus. Fought his own brother twice, nearly dying once because of it. Took on humans that worshiped his father and twisted themselves in the end for a sick purpose. He'd dealt with the darkest of humans too.

If Dante wanted to acknowledge a real fear of his own, it was letting someone in past his built up emotional barriers. Forking over all his trust to them to let them see him at his most vulnerable and his worst. Let them know how messed up he really was. And that losing them could be potentially more devastating than the loss of Vergil. 

He already couldn't lose Nero now as a friend. Life would be unbearable if that were to happen. He'd sink and collapse under the weight of that dark hole and never look to claw his way back out.

He stopped just outside Nero's door after having stepped in every puddle of ice old water left behind by Nero's boots. His feet were wet and cold and it likely had been a set up by the younger hunter on purpose. The puddles weren't big so they would dry by morning that way he wouldn't have worry about being woken to a string of curses from Nero about how lazy he was.

Sometimes Nero could be down right cruel in his moods. Yet Dante could handle it simply because that kind of verbal cruelty wasn't going to make him run away from friends. He believed in a few more years Nero's temper would lessen.

Carefully he turned the knob to the door, finding it certainly wasn't locked. Something he was glad for when he felt the need to look in on Nero on nights he couldn't sleep. He opened it slow and as quietly as he could about half way. He made out Nero's form outlined by the streetlight outside the window as well as blue glow of the Devil Bringer, indicating a devil was close by - him mainly.

He frowned. The kid was down to just his boxers and shirt? Had he been so damn tired he couldn't will himself to stay awake long enough to take off the shirt too? 

Ah.

Then he heard it. The sound of some techno music coming from headphones. No wonder Nero hadn't moved to aim Blue Rose at him right away. The kid was fast asleep to the beat. When he was out, the kid was out like the dead. He wouldn't hear anything. And he certainly wouldn't be shooting at him.

The headphones were no secret to him but it wasn't something he'd bring up in conversation either. He didn't want Nero getting testy with him about it. What was so special he needed them for? He hadn't forgotten how Nero had thrown them off during their first fight. Or that he could sometimes hear the music all the way from his room late at night.

Whatever Nero's reasons were for the music, he suspected it was much like himself trying to deal with all his emotional baggage too. Each just with their own ways.

Dante's face softened as a smile tugged at his lips. A genuine look of care the kid was going to miss out on.

"C'mon kid, let's get you settled better, eh?" 

He murmured to himself as he slipped into the room soundlessly. The older hunter was exceedingly gentle as he slid his arms under Nero and lifted him up off the bed. He cradled Nero like he had many times before while using his Telekinesis to throw the blankets back so he could lay Nero down properly on the bed without the headphones slipping off. It'd been tricky at first, but he'd gotten to be fairly quick and quite good at it. It wouldn't be the last time he'd do this for Nero. Even if usually the circumstances had been when Nero was drunk and Dante hadn't wanted to take advantage of him like that. He'd do this whenever he could.

Well, so long as Nero wasn't awake for it.

He pulled the blankets up over the Nero before moving a stray lock of the kid's hair from his face. Dante couldn't help but linger, noticing the slight color to Nero's cheeks and the slight part of the kid's lips. As if somehow the kid even in his sleep state had subconsciously been embarrassed by being touched by the older hunter even now.

He could just imagine the way Nero's eyes would look at him if they were opened to reflect such embarrassment. His eyes always bore more expression than the rest of his face. 

Something Dante was profoundly drawn to. Probably always would be. 

Nero's emotions were always at extremes, but at the same time so honest that Dante couldn't help himself to find a way to rile the kid up. Mostly just to see the way color of Nero's eyes would brighten or darken based on his mood and it was honestly beautiful to Dante. Then again a lot of things about Nero were beautiful to him.

"Sleep well, Nero."


	4. Moonlight

_BAM!_

Nero's eyes shot open. He shifted, finding himself buried beneath his blankets with his headphones still on but the music had stopped at some point. That wasn't how he remembered falling asleep last night but that was something he could think about later.

There was the same noise again, but this time he flung back the blankets and got out of bed, grabbing Blue Rose as he hurried out his bedroom.

At first he'd thought it was Dante slamming his headboard against the wall while entertaining someone else to fill his spot. And if that were the case, he'd shoot him on principle for waking him out of a nice sleep.

He tip-toed his way to the stairs, knowing exactly where not to step so the boards didn't creak as he moved in the darkness, the Bringer being the only light at all and still not much of one. If that was any indication, that meant Dante wasn't there at all.

That disappointed Nero. Where the hell was Dante at this damned hour? It'd be a waste of money if he was shacking up in some cheap nasty motel right now. And that idea infuriated him more simply because he didn't want to share Dante with anyone but he didn't own the guy and he sure as hell had no right to expect the older hunter not to go off with someone else once he cut ties to their undefined fuck-buddy relationship.

The Devil Bringer pulsed just slightly in response to his feelings as his scaly fingers curled until the hand was in a tight fist just shy from shaking. Luckily his claws couldn't penetrate his own scaled flesh, even if some part of him wanted to be able to draw blood.

Maybe what he really needed was a decent fight to take out his anger. If he managed to get it back under control he wouldn't lash out Dante the next time he saw him. It wouldn't be fair to the older hunter if he let his anger run amok even if part of it might be well deserved for other reasons.

He frowned as he stopped at the bottom of the stairs, listening just in case something was inside. He didn't care if it was human or not, they were going to get a taste of Blue Rose that would make whatever it was think twice about coming back if it was still alive after the first shot.

_BAM!_

By now he was positive it wasn't a gunshot of any sort and it wasn't a bed or furniture being destroyed or thrown about. It still unsettled him regardless.

Nero felt the icy breeze touch his bare skin and he felt his skin tingle before he felt a shiver run up his spine. He was still under-dressed in just his boxers and a shirt that did nothing to keep him warm from the unplanned chill. 

He didn't much like winter as a season. It was too damn cold all the time. Snow was blinding in the light and driving was a nightmare. He didn't even want to start in on how much he hated to shovel it. Maybe had he been a kid he would have seen it differently as something to enjoy. The only upside about the hideous season was that Dante liked to stock up on coffee and hot cocoa. Both warmed him up quick and the combination gave the coffee a different, likable flavor. It was the one thing he actually complimented and thanked Dante for.

But why the hell was there a draft? Did Dante get stupid drunk and break something? It better not be a window.

He turned just enough to be able to see the door was ajar. He knew he hadn't locked it when he got back simply because he wasn't the kind of asshole to lock Dante out of his own place. Even if sometimes the half devil would deserve it for his childishness on occasion. 

Still, he was unnerved to find the door wasn't locked and it was allowing a light snow to blow in. Thankfully it wasn't the wet heavy kind, but it still sucked that he was barefoot and his feet were already annoyingly cold. 

For once he couldn't complain about his unnatural speed as he moved to shut it and this time make sure the bolts were properly in place. In the morning he'd give Dante hell for leaving the door open and inviting who knew what kind of creature or human inside their home.

Their home? No, Dante's home. He was merely an extended house guest long overdue for a place of his own. Sure he paid his rent and he cleaned, but that didn't mean he felt like they were room mates or anything.

He was still alert and not willing to go back to bed just yet. If Dante wasn't asleep up in his bed right now, the older hunter was in for a rude awakening of being locked out at this hour.

At least the floor plan of the entire shop wasn't overly complicated. The upstairs had two bedrooms though Dante's was obviously bigger but not by much. The main floor was mostly the shop with a small kitchen but there were two other rooms; there was a bathroom that was big enough for a walk in shower to fit them both and Dante's little weapon's room. And as far as Nero knew, there wasn't a basement or anything. Simple.

So if there was anyone sneaking around the place, they had limited places to hide from a cold, irritated and tired half devil who wasn't going to let them off the hook easily.

First he checked the door closest to him which had been the bathroom. He was glad he'd oiled it a week ago and it had stopped squeaking. With careful practice he let go and the knob made no noise as he left the door open for him to check the room out. His free hand flicked the light on, squinting from the brightness, but found it empty. No one would have been able to hide behind glass in that kind of light. He turned the light off and just as quietly shut the door as he left.

The kitchen had also produced nothing as a result. Nothing was out of order from what he could see, though he wasn't about to check every cupboard just to make sure it wasn't some tiny little creature hiding inside. 

He gave a half silent laugh. If there had been a tiny creature it should have been one of those Irish folklore elves or something. Just imagining Dante and the tiny thing arguing over housework or who knew what else. That required more reading and a trip to the library if any of those myths were remotely true. He sort of hoped they could be based off something real just like all other supernatural creatures humans came up with. Hell, devils came in all sizes and shapes. But that wasn't a conversation he was going to start with Dante out of the blue because of some late night wake up call from an unlocked door.

Nero hoped there was something here to kill. It beat having to go back to bed empty handed and paranoid the rest of the day. That was if he could even go back to sleep and he refused to use it as an excuse to lay close to Dante one last time.

The young half devil shook his head. He needed to focus on the task at hand and not let his thoughts get the better of him right now. The last room to check was Dante's weapons storage room. He had real doubts someone would be hiding in there, but there were a lot of stupid people and demons out there. He flicked the light on but was only greeted with nothing but weapons.

A big fat waste of his time. 

"You're up early." A cheerful Agni greeted him from where he was hanging on the wall.

"Not up because I want to be." Nero grunted.

"Maybe you can take us down and let us watch some tv with you." Rudra suggested, not entirely sure that Nero would say yes.

"Yes, it's been months since Dante did anything with us!" Agni hastily added.

It was one of those things the twin swords asked of Dante from time to time when the older hunter couldn't sleep at night and occasionally when Nero was awake and they could hear him moving around. And as far as he knew, they were the only talkative pair that actively complained about being ignored and bored with nothing to do. Really, it was a surprise how they managed to be in Temin-Ni-Gru as long as they had with no one but each other before Dante had taken them.

"All that's playing are infomercials." 

Nero hated watching them about as much as he hated aired sermons. No one could really blame his dislike for religious sermons of any kind. Fortuna's fucked up worshiping of Sparda was a constant reminder that religion could turn out to be just insane and the people dumb enough to believe in that shit were people that had less self-esteem than he had about his own demon heritage.

Then again everything about Fortuna, except Kyrie, left him with bitter feelings. He was even less inclined to answer any pleas of help if they ended up having demon trouble again. If he had any luck at all the whole island would somehow end up sinking to the bottom of the ocean. Hell it would make his year.

Hell, his whole lifetime.

"Doesn't matter what's on. It's interesting. Humans are so creative."

Agni liked watching any channel that was on. He wanted to learn more about humans despite what all Rudra tried to explain to him though the blue blade had the same limited knowledge. Some days Nero would bet his last dollar they weren't even fully grown demons. They reminded him of children just shy of their teens.

"They're also stupid." Nero muttered, lowering Blue Rose after making sure the hammer was back at its resting position which was the same as the term 'safety on' used for pistols and other guns. Except he loved his revolver more than a typical semi-automatic pistol. Dante could argue all he liked, but Nero was stubborn with things he was familiar with.

"Not all of them." Agni only had Morrison, Lady and Kyrie for in person references and Patty never got a chance to see them. The rest of his view of humans had been shaped by watching tv. Like devils, there were good and bad humans. 

"If I take you down, you're watching tv by yourselves."

Nero knew he should go back to bed. Or at least try. He hadn't had any bad dreams, and he'd like to get as much sleep as he could. He didn't want to fall asleep on the couch dressed as he was just in case Lady actually showed up unexpectedly.

"One hour with us." Rudra insisted. It wasn't that much fun to watch tv without either half devil paying them a little bit of attention. Had they had bodies, they'd be able to do a lot more around the place to show their gratitude for having a new home.

Nero's hand tightened on Blue Rose. He did not want to spend another ten minutes arguing with devil arms. Who needed a pet dog when they had two talking and annoying swords that wanted attention? Rudra and Agni could be persuasive when they wanted to be to. Some days even in his most foul mood it was easier to just give in to them than listen to them complain constantly when work was slow.

"Fine. One hour and then you're on your own." 

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Dante came downstairs to find Nero asleep on the couch with the TV still on. He was amused the kid let himself be sprawled out like he had forgotten they were still a business down here. But he couldn't bring himself to say anything to wake the kid just yet.

He hadn't expected the kid to be still under-dressed, but then he spotted both swords staring intently at the tv. Most likely Agni kept the kid warm since he did radiate a lot of heat when he wanted to. Dante often teased him that he'd make a great space heater instead of a weapon. Maybe he'd let them stay out all day to watch as much tv as they wanted as his own way of showing thanks. Well, so long as the two stayed quiet because once they started, it was hard to shut them up. Especially when they started arguing.

He sensed the two devil arms were aware of him now and he put his finger to his lips to keep the two from waking Nero just yet. The kid was just too cute like that. And if he knew Nero, the kid likely still had his revolver with him. Somewhere. 

Except Dante just couldn't catch a break to keep this moment a little longer. The phone rang loudly and unforgivingly. The older hunter made a mad dash to silence the noise, but it didn't manage to stop Nero from rubbing his face and sitting up.

"Devil May Cry." Dante answered pleasantly as he could. All too aware of the glare being shot in his direction.

"Tell them to fuck off." Nero grunted.

Dante shook his head at the younger man as he listened to the client on the other side. He reached for a pen to write down on the closest napkin on the desk left behind from their last round of take-out that hadn't been pizza. It was a short to the point kind of call Dante preferred. Especially when it was a lot of money involved. He dropped the receiver and leaned back on the desk a bit to stretch his back.

"Sorry, no can do. Business calls and you know how much I like money."

"Since when you do accept a job before coffee anyway?" Nero got up, preferring to ignore how little dressed he was compared to Dante's sweats and shirt. And how equally good Dante looked stretched out like that and how angry he was at himself for his decision.

"It's a client that wants it done as quickly as we can handle it."

Nero gave Dante a skeptical look. Dante never used the term 'we' when it came to him. He wouldn't say no, but he wasn't so sure they'd partner well together. Dante had his style and Nero had his. As far as he knew Trish was his partner when it came to a two-person work team.

"We?"

Just what the hell was up with Dante? As soon as he ended their fuck buddy status all of a sudden he wanted to be 'partners' on a singular job? Nero didn't trust it one bit at all. Dante was up to something. And he had his doubts that it'd be anything he'd like.

"There isn't anyone else here besides the two of us." Dante gave him a shrug. "I mean, it's up to you. You can stay here and bury yourself beneath all our blankets like some cold tiny pet we don't own or you can come along and help with the job and get half the pay." He flashed the younger hunter a grin, hoping his words would give Nero a reason to get off the couch. "Maybe more if you kill more devils than me. From what I gather it sounds like a hell of an infestation."

At least the sun was up so it wasn't as freezing as it had been when Dante had gotten home last night. But they certainly didn't want to be going out in what they were wearing right now either. He more than expected Nero to say no to the idea. It hadn't been the first time he'd teased the younger hunter about sharing a job, but he also hadn't been too serious about it. He hoped that if they partnered up a few times Nero might not mind it so much in the future. If the kid decided to stick around.

Dante's body felt that pang again at the idea of Nero leaving. Instead he kept the smile to the front and let Nero read it any way he wanted to.

"I'm not killing anything on an empty stomach."

The younger hunter was stubborn about his morning habits. Coffee and food before anything else. He'd told Dante plenty of times that without decent food a fight just didn't turn out properly. In fact, he'd held it over Dante's head for a month when the elder argued and later admitted that during a particular job all he could think about was food and it'd been the younger man's fault.

"We'll grab something on the way."

Nero knew exactly what that meant. It meant that Dante wanted to stop by the donut shop so he could fill himself up with sugary food and coffee for the day until he was hungry for greasy pizza. Yet, he couldn't really say no to it. He did favor the bagel sandwiches since they had more protein and less sugar. Those sandwiches were filling as long as he had both bacon and sausage on it along with the usual egg and slice of cheese.

"Fine. I'm going to shower first." Nero rubbed his nose and headed for the bathroom. His hand paused on the knob though. "Did you forget to lock up last night?"

"No. I made sure to lock it last night before I went upstairs." Dante's brows furrowed. 

Last night he'd had a strange feeling, and now Nero was confirming it might not have been such a good idea to have ignored it. He didn't like second guessing things. He was certain he'd locked them and checked them being that he was plenty sober enough by the time he'd gotten back to the shop. He hadn't forgotten to do it yet and he didn't plan to start now. 

And the last thing he wanted to do was alert the kid that something might be off. Didn't need him being paranoid too.

"I heard the door slamming and came down here expecting to find you passed out on the floor." Nero also didn't want to admit that he found nothing else inside which still left him feeling odd.

"Don't know what to tell you, kid."

"Maybe your age is just getting to you."

"Hah. You wish. Age is something that doesn't matter unless you're a cheese."

Nero wanted to give Dante shit for relating things back to food once again. But he just couldn't. In fact, he couldn't contain a small amount of laughter over it. Even he could see Dante's face light up with a genuine smile and laugh of his own. On the rare occasion he could be funny with some of the most idiotic things he said. So maybe giving him a chance as a partner might not be so bad. He wouldn't promise anything, though. Dante's amusing side came and went just as quick as Nero's temper did.

And right now, Nero desperately needed the lighter banter. He hadn't realized how much he missed it until now. Even something as small as that. That it felt natural and not a forced cover-up what what they might be going through even if he had trouble believing Dante would be genuinely upset about things changing between them.

"Don't burn the coffee. I'll be ready in ten."


End file.
